Carmen by Walter Dean Myers

Author:Walter Dean Myers
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781606841990
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Published: 2011-07-13T22:00:00+00:00

Act Two

Scene 1

We are in the back room of Lillas Pastia’s club, which is the home base of DANCAIRO’s crew. There is a bar at the back of the stage, and the back wall is covered with colored curtains depicting scenes from a tropical location.

At one table we see CARMEN, FRASQUITA, and MERCEDES. At the end of the bar, JOSÉ is drinking by himself, head down. The atmosphere is fairly busy, and the music from the sound system is upbeat.

MERCEDES

This boy wants me sooo much, you wouldn’t believe it. If I walk into a room where he is, his heart starts beating faster. You can tell from across the room—you can almost hear it! That’s how much he loves me.

FRASQUITA

Is he cute?

MERCEDES

He drives a BMW.

FRASQUITA

That’s pretty cute. What was he arrested for?

MERCEDES

How do you know he was arrested? You don’t know that.

FRASQUITA

He’s young, he lives around here, he’s been arrested. What for?

MERCEDES

On a technicality. They caught him with some television sets, which he was going to sell but they got to him before he could get the sets out. Then—and you’re not going to believe this—they charged him with possession of stolen goods, and the only reason he had them in his possession was because they arrested him before he could sell them!

FRASQUITA

That’s got to be some kind of violation. That’s what they do to us and then they say we don’t have family values. How are we going to have family values when you can’t afford a place to put your family?

CARMEN

I think I need somebody new to fall in love with. Maybe this weekend. Any parties going on?

FRASQUITA

Whoa, Carmen. What happened to José? I thought you were all hot and bothered over him. All the pain in his eyes and everything? I thought you went for that big-time?

CARMEN

Frasquita, I don’t know if I was really seeing his pain or just seeing the place where it should have been. Sometimes I look at him and I see that shining knight I was talking about. Then I look again and there’s a shadow across his face. I think you can hold some things in you too long and they go bad. It’s as if your soul gets dark. Then it gets to be dangerous. I’m a little bit afraid of him. Maybe I let my heart get away from me. It won’t happen again.

FRASQUITA

I told you that, girlfriend. I’ve been there once or twice myself. Yeah, me, Frasquita Margarita Ortiz. I’ve been head-over-heels in love before. Or was it heels over head? Anyway… I’ve been there! But I’m not sure about you, Carmen. You’re, like, really messed around over that dude. I can even hear it in your voice.

CARMEN

I’m over him. Love knows how to die.

DANCAIRO enters with RAMI and YOSHIRO. RAMI is a slightly built Indian, and YOSHIRO is stocky and Japanese.

DANCAIRO

Here’s my crew! Lay it out for them, guys.

RAMI

This marketing company in Pittsburgh is buying a list of credit-card users. It’s a one-time deal; they’re going to try to sell audio equipment over the Internet to everyone on the list.

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